In Beirut, I was staying in a hotel next to Hamra Street. Hamra is one of the liveliest and active parts of Beirut flocked with cars and people throughout the day. On my way to meeting and grabbing coffee with Hadi, a journalist I was introduced to that would eventually help me enter the settlements; I got my first glimpse of the refugee problem in Lebanon. Running into beggars and street children, pleading to every passerby for money, was a common sight along the entire stretch. Lebanon, according to official figures, hosts 1.1 million refugees, which compromise over 25% of the country’s population. However, from the people I talked to, most claimed the figures were closer to 1.5-2 million, with many residing in Lebanon without any official registration or records.
Hadi, amidst our conversation, informed me that to witness the scale of the refugee problem of Lebanon, I needed to travel to two parts – the Akaar area in the north and the Bekaa area in the south. Extremely approachable and willing to help, he took me to his office and called up a few contacts he had in those regions. The next day, I was to head to the northern settlements.
I depart Beirut at 8AM the next day and set for a three hour journey to Akaar region in the north of Lebanon, right next to the Syrian border that went into Homs. I was supposed to meet a reporter I had been introduced to take me to the settlements. In Lebanon, the refugees were organized in a different fashion. The government seems to be firm on their decisions: no formal camps for the refugees. This is part due to the Lebanese experience with the Palestinian refugees that first lived in UN camps and have been living in Lebanon for over 60 years ever since. They feel that providing the Syrian refugees with formal camps will encourage them to settle in permanently and divert the attention and need to find a sustainable solution to the issue.